12These are the men who joined David in Ziklag; it was during the time he was banished by Saul the son of Kish; they were among the Mighty Men, good fighters.H935H1732H6860H6113H6440H7586H1121H7027H1368H5826H44212They were armed with bows and could sling stones and shoot arrows either right- or left-handed. They hailed from Saul's tribe, Benjamin.H5401H7198H3231H8041H68H2671H7198H7586H251H11443The first was Ahiezer; then Joash son of Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah; Jehu the Anathothite;H7218H295H3101H1121H8094H1395H3149H6404H1121H5820H1294H3058H60694Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a Mighty Man among the Thirty, a leader of the Thirty; Jeremiah; Jahaziel; Johanan; Jozabad the Gederathite;H3460H1393H1368H7970H7970H3414H3166H3110H3107H14525Eluzai; Jerimoth; Bealiah; Shemariah; Shephatiah the Haruphite;H498H3406H1183H8114H8203H27416Elkanah; Isshiah; Azarel; Joezer; Jashobeam; the Korahites;H511H3449H5832H3134H3434H71457and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.H3132H2069H1121H3395H14468There were some Gadites there who had defected to David at his wilderness fortress; they were seasoned and eager fighters who knew how to handle shield and spear. They were wild in appearance, like lions, but as agile as gazelles racing across the hills.H1425H914H1732H4679H4057H1368H2428H582H6635H4421H6186H6793H7420H6440H6440H738H4116H6643H20229Ezer was the first, then Obadiah, Eliab,H5829H7218H5662H8145H446H799210Mishmannah, Jeremiah,H4925H7243H3414H254911Attai, Eliel,H6262H8345H447H763712Johanan, Elzabad,H3110H8066H443H867113Jeremiah, and Macbannai—eleven of them.H3414H6224H4344H6249H624014These Gadites were the cream of the crop—any one of them was worth a hundred lesser men, and the best of them were worth a thousand.H1121H1410H7218H6635H259H6996H3967H1419H50515They were the ones who crossed the Jordan when it was at flood stage in the first month, and put everyone in the lowlands to flight, both east and west.H5674H3383H7223H2320H4390H1415H1428H1272H6010H4217H462816There were also men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah who joined David in his wilderness fortress.H935H1121H1144H3063H4679H173217When David went out to meet them, this is what he said: "If you have come in peace and to help me, you are most welcome to join this company; but if you have come to betray me to my enemies, innocent as I am, the God of our ancestors will see through you and bring judgment on you."H1732H3318H6440H6030H559H935H7965H5826H3824H3162H7411H6862H3808H2555H3709H430H1H7200H319818Just then Amasai chief of the Thirty, moved by God's Spirit, said, We're on your side, O David, We're committed, O son of Jesse; All is well, yes, all is well with you, And all's well with whoever helps you. Yes, for your God has helped and does help you. So David took them on and assigned them a place under the chiefs of the raiders.H7307H3847H6022H7218H7970H7991H1732H1121H3448H7965H7965H7965H5826H430H5826H1732H6901H5414H7218H141619Some from the tribe of Manasseh also defected to David when he started out with the Philistines to go to war against Saul. In the end, they didn't actually fight because the Philistine leaders, after talking it over, sent them home, saying, "We can't trust them with our lives—they'll betray us to their master Saul."H5307H4519H1732H935H6430H7586H4421H5826H5633H6430H6098H7971H559H5307H113H7586H721820The men from Manasseh who defected to David at Ziklag were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, all leaders among the families of Manasseh.H3212H6860H5307H4519H5734H3107H3043H4317H3107H453H6769H7218H505H451921They helped David in his raids against the desert bandits; they were all stalwart fighters and good leaders among his raiders.H5826H1732H1416H1368H2428H8269H663522Hardly a day went by without men showing up to help—it wasn't long before his band seemed as large as God's own army!H6256H3117H3117H935H1732H5826H1419H4264H4264H43023Here are the statistics on the battle-seasoned warriors who came down from the north to David at Hebron to hand over Saul's kingdom, in accord with GOD's word:H4557H7218H2502H6635H935H1732H2275H5437H4438H7586H6310H306824from Judah, carrying shield and spear, 6,800 battle-ready;H1121H3063H5375H6793H7420H8337H505H8083H3967H2502H663525from Simeon, 7,100 stalwart fighters;H1121H8095H1368H2428H6635H7651H505H396726from Levi, 4,600,H1121H3878H702H505H8337H396727which included Jehoiada leader of the family of Aaron, bringing 3,700 menH3077H5057H175H7969H505H7651H396728and the young and stalwart Zadok with twenty-two leaders from his family;H6659H5288H1368H2428H1H1004H6242H8147H826929from Benjamin, Saul's family, 3,000, most of whom had stuck it out with Saul until now;H1121H1144H251H7586H7969H505H4768H8104H4931H1004H758630from Ephraim, 20,800, fierce fighters and famous in their hometowns;H1121H669H6242H505H8083H3967H1368H582H2428H8034H1004H131from the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000 elected to come and make David king;H2677H4294H4519H8083H6240H505H5344H8034H935H1732H442732from Issachar, men who understood both the times and Israel's duties, 200 leaders with their families;H1121H3485H998H3045H6256H3045H3478H6213H7218H3967H251H631033from Zebulun, 50,000 well-equipped veteran warriors, unswervingly loyal;H2074H3318H6635H6186H4421H3627H4421H2572H505H5737H3820H382034from Naphtali, 1,000 chiefs leading 37,000 men heavily armed;H5321H505H8269H6793H2595H7970H7651H50535from Dan, 28,600 battle-ready men;H1839H6186H4421H6242H8083H505H8337H396736from Asher, 40,000 veterans, battle-ready;H836H3318H6635H6186H4421H705H50537and from East of Jordan, men from Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, heavily armed, 120,000.H5676H3383H7206H1425H2677H7626H4519H3627H6635H4421H3967H6242H50538All these soldiers came to David at Hebron, ready to fight if necessary; they were both united and determined to make David king over all Israel. And everyone else in Israel was of the same mind—"Make David king!"H582H4421H5737H4634H935H8003H3820H2275H1732H4427H3478H7611H3478H259H3824H1732H442739They were with David for three days of feasting celebration, with food and drink supplied by their families.H1732H7969H3117H398H8354H251H355940Neighbors ranging from as far north as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali arrived with donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen loaded down with food for the party: flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep—joy in Israel!H7138H3485H2074H5321H935H3899H2543H1581H6505H1241H3978H7058H1690H6778H3196H8081H1241H6629H7230H8057H3478